KUALA NERUS: The National Rugby Development Programme (NRDP) continues to strengthen grassroots rugby development in Terengganu, with this month’s NRDP-Terengganu School Sports Council Rugby 7s Championship recording its highest participation since its introduction.
A total of 240 players representing 20 school teams from seven districts competed over two days at the Tengku Muhammad Ismail Rugby Stadium, Terengganu State Sports Complex, with several schools making their tournament debut.
Terengganu School Sports Council (MSST) Rugby Development Technical Committee chairman Aminudin Sulong described this year’s format as the most inclusive yet, allowing schools from across the state to participate regardless of location or competitive background.
“Previous editions were largely confined to selected schools within their respective zones. This year, every school had the opportunity to compete, giving young talents from both urban and rural areas a platform to showcase their potential,” he said.
“Some teams came not with the ambition of winning the title, but to gain competitive minutes and experience, which are equally important to their long-term development.”
The record turnout highlighted growing interest in rugby among schools across the state and reflected the steady progress of grassroots development initiatives in Terengganu.
Competing in the Open Men’s and Open Women’s categories, the championship provided young players with valuable competitive exposure while serving as a benchmark for rugby programmes being developed in their respective schools.
Aminudin credited the collaboration among the NRDP, Malaysia Rugby, the National Sports Council and the Education Ministry with accelerating rugby development across the East Coast.
Introduced in 2016, the NRDP remains a key national initiative targeting players aged 13 to 17, with the long-term goal of producing elite talent capable of progressing to Malaysia’s national rugby set-up.
